If we look at the sea of White faces on magazine stands worldwide, we realize that the struggle for Black women to be accepted as equals in the world of fashion and beauty continues. The gains that generations of women have made become almost symbolic, and not at all concrete, when we still must talk about such issues.

Every time a Black editor, writer, or stylist is hired by a magazine, no matter if it is a Black-centered or a mainstream magazine, it feels as though we might be on the right track. We think we’re gaining momentum, but the sad truth is that is not the case. Are Black women getting hired in the ever-so-competitive world of magazine publishing? And by hired, we also mean getting a magazine cover. It would seem that no, they are not. And because there are so many things that rightly concern us so much more, we have not been making as big a deal out of this fact as we probably should. Indeed, no other group of women are being told what to do, think, or say (and when), as much as Black women. With the “whitewashing” of magazine covers, we are effectively being told to back down, shut up, and put up with whatever it is the ”powers that be” dish out. Even Black women sometimes seem to give up and continue to buy magazines that for decades have not honored them.

By continuously putting the crossover cover stars (you know who they are) on major glossies, we are being told that the girls who do not visibly have White ancestry are not good enough. That beauty is being White or light-skinned. Even light-skinned is not enough. When was the last time you saw an Asian woman, let alone a Black one, on the cover of a major magazine? Is Rihanna seriously the only Black girl out there Or Beyoncé? These are the two women that South African magazines—who do not overtly cater to the Black women market—peddle to their readers, year in and year out. Like a tired dishcloth wrung too many times. In fact, when I was an intern at one of the most well-known magazines here (with an international name), I once suffered a mild shock to my entire system. The editor at the time stated that “This is a White magazine.” So that was the reason their hiring policy has always been non-inclusive, and the few Black faces were there for “color interests,” “Black economic empowerment,” or, more accurately, window-dressing. If they had a full complement of staff, that they respected and took seriously, we would not need to call it that. And we would not still be angry over their cover choices.

The magazine cover that infuriated me most this year was Elle South Africa’s cover with Alek Wek. I should have been joyful, right? She’s a dark, African girl on the cover of the world’s style bible, albeit with a South African touch. But I was not. One of the cover-lines was, in my opinion, an absurd placement next to an internationally renowned cover star. A Black writer, one of the few that has written for this magazine in recent years, dared ask the question: “Do Black covers sell?” Rising up from my spluttering indignation, I tripped over the elephant in the room. I looked straight at what was then only a teaser on a media website, and asked Alek’s image out loud: “How could they do this to you?” I was angry and mystified. She is a fabulous African woman, and more representative of where we are than anyone they have put on their cover for a long time, yet they dare to ask this question.

I understand that it’s a question White editors around the world have asked themselves; but to see such an ignorant, flippantly arrogant and insensitive question in a land where most of who you see are Black faces? But there they were, acting as if South Africa were somehow “Little Europe in Africa” and completely missing the point that some of the best-selling women’s magazines in the entire country are Black women’s magazines with Black women on the cover. These magazines sell to their target demographic rapidly because they respect their readers. Anyone can look at circulation figures for a given magazine and see this—as it is not kept secret.

The publishing industry’s business models need a total overhaul—a revamp. I am not, obviously, a big business owner, and nor do I pretend to know everything that there is to know about publishing. Yet the insights I have gained tell me this: Black women are still being highly disrespected in this country. South African publishers are taking us for a ride when they think they can stock their magazines in our neighbourhoods and not feature, or cater to, us at all. Sure they’ll throw in the one or two Black faces, but that’s it. They might do a Black cover every now and then, but at their book and management meetings they will say, “See, the numbers are low, these covers don’t sell.” They then decided to rehash a Jennifer Aniston or Cameron Diaz cover. I do not recall either of these women ever having stepped on South African soil. Meanwhile, most circulation figures have been going down and magazines are in a precarious position.

At a time when magazines are folding left and right, and these publishers are still clinging to their old business models (and White and cappuccino-colored cover models), you would think that they might have learned a thing or two. It’s a tricky business. And, yes, you only remain on top by giving people what they want. Yet ignoring a substantial number of women, and not tapping into their energies, and, at the bottom line—their financial power—is just plain stupid. It shows the level of racism and lack of respect that White publishers have long held for Black women. Looking through some online responses to the Alek Wek issue, I found some comments that mirrored my own thoughts. One commentator wrote “I’m much more shocked to see that tagline on an African magazine than I would be on an American or European one.”

I refused to buy that magazine, even though I adore Alek and look at her 1997 Elle magazine cover as a collector’s item. That was a turning point for me. Up until that time it was rare to see any black faces on covers unless they were Essence, Ebony or Jet. I thought things would change, but thirteen years later nothing has changed except the clothes Alek is wearing on another Elle cover.

As a Black woman standing on African soil, I felt insulted by the article. I felt that it was yet another method by which White magazine publishers try to circumvent the truth, which is that Black covers have been selling extremely well in various markets, especially this one. I, however, was not going to be coerced into picking up that magazine because it had the psychological effect of a slap on the face with a wet rag.

We have put up long enough with the racism that says “White will sell” and “White is beautiful” even in a majority Black country like South Africa. I wondered what was going on in other African settings, so I asked a few of my friends to do some checking.

In Tanzania, Sandra reported, “There are hardly any White faces staring at you from the covers of our local glossies here in TZ. However, about a good 99 percent of the cover models are very light in complexion. Even the models used for the ads seem to be lighter skinned, which is apparently preferred. And, of course, the longer horse tails you have, the better.”

Francis in Zambia found that most magazines on the rack in his hometown were foreign magazines that featured mainly White people. An avid Arise magazine reader, he said, “The newsagents put out what sells here. I believe it’s mainly because of the misconception that Black models and Black women in general are less versatile then their white counterparts. However if you look at Tyra, Naomi, Alek, and Iman, they all come from different countries, their looks are all different, and they are all physically dissimilar. They’re diverse.”

Dineo, a South African who lives in the most urban part of the country, which includes Johannesburg and Tshwane, says the situation is dire. “When it comes to faces of color, they are always on Drum, Bona, Soul, and Real . . . those kinds of magazines. It’s very rare otherwise. Beyoncé and Rihanna can only be shown so much. What is also frustrating is that even when they appear on the likes of Cosmo or other glossies, where is the representation inside?”

Gugu from Soweto confirmed what has become very clear. In the Black townships, the magazines at what are known as spaza shops are those with White covers.

Dineo, who lives in the high-income neighbourhood of Waterkloof Ridge, in Tshwane, says it’s the same. These are costly magazines with international names, yet they find space on many newsstands, even the predominantly Black areas. That’s the cheek of it—especially considering how White editors simply do not wish to cater to the Black population, yet they will gladly take their money. It is true that some Black women simply do not care. They can afford the magazine, so why not buy it is what I’ve heard some say in discussions focusing on the non-inclusive nature of some magazines.

While it’s true that Cosmopolitan consistently puts more Black faces on their cover than any other international magazine, the representation only goes so far. Black covers can only do so much if magazines are not hiring Black writers, stylists and editors. There is only one Black editor that I know of, on any of the major international glossies. The editor of O, The Oprah Magazine South Africa, is Black. (In South Africa she is seen as colored or mixed-race). In industry circles, using a colored model, who they often term “cappuccino,” is the most accepted rule of thumb to circumventing actually hiring a dark Black South African model. In fact, it is hard for me to even come up with a Black South African model’s name. Many of the girls they use on shoots are Brazilian, American, British, or Nigerian. But even those Black girls do not make the covers of Elle, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Women’s Health, FHM, Sports Illustrated, among other prints. All the international glossies that compete with home-grown South African talent (like Destiny and True Love) for a place in Black women’s hearts and minds, rarely honor Black women by giving them covers, or positions with the publication.

At my local grocery store in Cape Town, I scanned the newsstands. Everyone and their grannies frequent this store—all colors, all faiths. Out of 27 glossy magazines in the English language, four had Black people on the cover. One was Good Housekeeping with Michelle Obama. Another, with Nelson Mandela as cover star on Destiny—the second offering from Khanyi Dhlomo’s publishing group, which is one of the few Black-owned publishers in the country. It is significant that Destiny is the only magazine that I have seen that speaks to all kinds of women. Dhlomo has put people of almost every color group in the country on the cover, and within the magazine’s pages.

If the opportunities for young Black women are closed even before they’ve begun, this is indeed dire. For how long can we keep telling our sisters and daughters that, yes, they matter, and, yes, they are just as beautiful and vital as everyone else in the world, when we’re not fighting hard enough for them to have a place in the sun? At the end of the day, a cover on its own simply does not matter. What matters is the implied racism behind constantly being ignored—as if you do not exist. Yes, there are a myriad number of issues that affect us globally as Black women. But carving us out of substantial parts of the economy and the media—via rendering us invisible to the world at large—is making the statement that we do not matter. Those who do not matter inevitably get left behind. Yet here we are, and perhaps our best bet lies only with ourselves.

The fakery and pretentiousness in South African fashion really boggles my mind in a time where exclusivity and inaccessibility in fashion are dying. Even Luxury brands are availing themselves in ways they never have before. The elite club of fashion’s chosen are over. Even Anna Wintour understands this. Publications can no longer wall themselves off. Welcome to the digital dojo! Sorry, but print is dying. How can one of the top publications in SA have no website or readily available contact details? It’s a recession, get it together! One shouldn’t have to spend two days online trying to find you, an email adress or someone affiliated with you… something and still come up with nothing. So what this article speaks about is very real. There is an arrogance and snottiness in South AFrican fashion that has no place in the business, especially in the digital era. Get with the times. It’s all well and good that the selling point of this magazine is that its small enough to fit into a lady’s purse but maybe its time to make it fit her smartfone, no? And maybe its time to include all women- black white, big small etc. Its really no longer enough to lead the pack by association. The media firewalls have come down. People consume information much more differently now- they are more descerning and assertive about what they want and they want it now. Information needs to flow quicker, be more current and you need to stay on top of it. South African publications and the beauty and fashion industry in general can no longer continue to treat Black women as second rate consumers- we are this economy. We are the buying power. Why do I walk into Clicks and there is a whole aisle of hair brushes and accessories for white women’s hair and I must go downtown, dodging puddles of piss to go to the china shops if I want a comb? Why is my hard-earned rand still second class? I also want to shop where there is air conditioning and the surroundings are lush and make me feel like a lady too. Why is my shopping experience different because I am not a white woman? I why do I still have to squeeze my assets into clothes that were not made with me in mind, but made to the prototype of (straight) white womens’ bodies… IN AFRICA? These are some of the things black women still struggle with in Africa and which they must step up and find solutions to. And sadly these things translate into our homes as men and children (and women themselves) are increasingly showing signs of being affected by the media image of white as beautiful, of whiteness as a representation of the extraordinary and normal all at the same time. Black people are increasingly crumbling under the pressure to “rise up” to whiteness and it is mostly black women and girls that have to bare the load of that societal demand- this in a supposedly free, multicultural and democratic South Africa.

Mz. Bronze

If the opportunities for young Black women are closed even before they’ve begun, this is indeed dire. For how long can we keep telling our sisters and daughters that yes, they matter, and yes, they are just as beautiful and vital as everyone else in the world, but we’re not fighting hard enough for them to have a place in the sun? k

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Do you really feel that this is a valid question in 2010? I only found your post through the Dailybombfashion.com….. Who knows when I would have found this blog. I love it so far. So how can the opportunities be closed when you have a blog. I know your talking about mainstream media however, media does change. I belive the problem is that you (and please don’t be offended) do not realize that this site is important. This site, and others like it, is telling women that they are important. Blacks need to wean themselves from thinking, if mainstream media doesn’t recognize me–then I don’t exist. This is so not true. Maybe 100 years ago, but not today. The internet is the new media and from the looks of it, it is doing a wonderful job showing us black beauty. So I say to you–value this blog as a step in the right direction in boosting the morale and self esteem of little black girls and grown black women.

Mia

This site is not a blog – it’s an online magazine. True new media has opened doors -but all doors should be MORE open.

Kassie

It’s nice to know my light skin isn’t black enough to be considered real black. I am, as are women who are as light or lighter than me, still a black woman. I agree that dark black women need to be represented more, they are beautiful and they are not a niche, but jeez, throw us “cappuccino coloured” women under the bus much? Maybe it would be beneficial to embrace all black models.

Lauren

I don’t think the author is saying anything about lighted skinned women of color. She is just saying that that is the hue that you see on most covers. Please don’t make this a skin hue article – pitying sistas against each other – it’s much more than that.

Mia

I agree. She is NOT saying that at all.

Alexandra

What you are saying was not in the article.

dalilou

As a cappucino-colored girl myself, I didn’t feel thrown under the bus at all. The author said nothing derogatory about women with light skin, just that they are over-represented in the media and proclaimed as the only acceptable hue that there is. Please, my middle school students would have literally laughed out loud if they saw that Alek Wek with her dark skin and short hair. Black is still not beautiful in the year 2010. Regardless of our skin tone, black women need to fight for more inclusion of the full spectrum of black beauty inside and outside of our communities or we are doomed to repeat the same jealousy, infighting, and divisions.

ShamWow

That’s not what she’s saying, that is what you chose to get from this article.

What she is saying is that the light-skinned black woman has been used to keep all black women at arm’s length in the fashion industry. They’ll find the lightest black woman, as close to white as possible, and put her on the cover to pacify black women in fashion. That’s not flattering to dark skinned or light skinned women.

de

Yes, please don’t be so vain. This article was not about light skinned verses whatever. We all are intelligent enough to know that light or dark it is still considered black. This article was simply talking about picking the lightest of the black to represent a race of women. This wasn’t about you or anyone who is light.

Isis

She was not saying that AT ALL Kassie

Alexandra

I dont know what its like in South Africa. But all I’ll say is that all Black women across the world, especially choclate ladies, need to come to terms that our complexion is not gonna be seen the same. Different complexions, generate different responses. And thats the TRUTH.

Dark skin has been associated with negativity for 350+ years and still is. How in the world can you erase that ? When Naomi Campbell first posed for Vogue, it was reported that it was one of the lowest selling issues. But Vogue Black sells very well. It’s commong sense.
Stop analyzing, investigating, etc; why Black models cant appear on some things. Even in Black communities/cultures the same thing is done. Why is it any different?

This article was interesting, but it wouldn’t hurt if someone wrote an article on how young black girls/women can avoid having low-self esteem because of this.

http://www.clutchmagazine.com Clutch

Thanks Alexandra. We will definitely take your suggestion into consideration for an upcoming issue! Thanks so much for your comment :)

Dede

ShamWow

So you want us to sit back like happy niggas and be fine with it? Sorry, but that’s bullshit.

Alexandra

Ok, that’s nice to hear. I really enjoyed the article and how the author gave us a look at Black beauty in another culture. But it’s definitely the timing of the article that has led to some opposing opinions. It gave me an idea.

@ ShamWow, so what are ‘you’ gonna do about it then? I never said be ‘happy’ about it; but why continuing analyzing it when you already know why it is so? be an ‘angry nigga’ all you want.

http://www.thenaturalmane.wordpress.com The Natural Mane

Hi I totally agree with you this sometimes has to do with demographics. I completely understand some magazine simply cater to a white demographic but in some cases mags can still use both….I think this was sposed to be the role black mags like Essence and Jet were sposed to play…if they meant to deal with black issues then the black kaleidescope should have been readily featured…(this explains one of the major concerns of such mags no longer being black owned…money talks an all that)…

on another note…I’m not sure of the numbers but i am certain the black chunck of the census have enormous buyin power….how is it then that those mags dont see fit to even bother to cater to that category…